Placing Odds On The ‘SNL’ Cast Members Most Likely To Be Fired This Summer

This weekend is the 39th season finale of Saturday Night Live (hosted by Andy Samberg) and it has not been a good season all around. There have been a few good episodes (Drake, Louis C.K., Kerry Washington), but overall, it’s been weak, hitting lows not only in ratings, but in creativity (the Charlize Theron and Jim Parsons episodes this season were two of the worst I’ve ever seen).

It’s been a rebuilding year, but going into the 40th season of Saturday Night Live, Lorne Michaels is going to want a more solid core. With 17 members, the cast is badly bloated, and with that many people angling for screentime, few cast members have really been able to break-out. Taran Killam, Cecily Strong, Kate McKinnon — and to some extent — Aidy Bryant have gained a following, but there’s no Will Ferrells or Bill Haders or even Andy Sambergs in this cast.

Chances are, Michaels is going to spend the summer weeding out some of the weaker cast members, and hopefully come back in the fall with 10-12 of the strongest cast members. Who is likely to be cut over the summer? Let’s lay odds on those most likely to be fired.

Repertory players

Vanessa Bayer (30-1) — With Nasim Pedrad likely leaving for her new sitcom, Mulaney, Bayer becomes the most senior female on staff, and this show desperately needs seniority, even if her Miley Cyrus impression is the most she has to offer to the show right now.

Aidy Bryant — (40-1) — Aidy is solid, and hopefully, they figure out a way to make “Dyke and Fats” a recurring sketch.

Taran Killam (100-1) — Killam is probably the strongest male cast member these days, and of the males, has the best chance to break-out. Of course, we’ve been saying that for awhile, and his screentime still isn’t quite what it should be, though his Jebediah Atkinson is the show’s best recurring character at the moment (for better or worse).

Kate McKinnon (100-1) — McKinnon has probably been the strongest, most consistent female cast member this season, even if not all of her sketches work. She’s not going anywhere.

Bobby Moynihan (20-1) — Moynihan will be finishing his sixth season, which makes him the second most senior cast member on SNL. They still need him around just so former cast members still have a friend on the cast when they host.

Nasim Pedrad (1-1) — I don’t see how Pedrad sticks around now that Mulaney has gotten an extended order of 13 episodes. She’s gone.

Jay Pharoah (40-1) — Pharaoh’s job is safe at least through 2016, when Obama steps down, although aside even from his Obama impression, he’s also one of the stronger cast members. He would actually benefit greatly from a smaller cast.

Cecily Strong (100-1) — One of the most recognizable cast members these days, Strong’s position on the staff — and “Weekend Update” — is assured.

Kenan Thompson (8-1) — The longest running cast member by a long shot (11 seasons to Moynihan’s six), at some point Thompson really does have to move on. He’s one of those guys who is mentioned as leaving every summer, but he always manages to stick around. He’s somewhat reliable, but he’s never going to break out. If he makes it back another year, only Seth Meyers and Darrell Hammond will have lasted as long as he has. I think it’s time for Kenan to step down and let the youth movement take over.

Featured players

Beck Bennett (20-1) — Along with Mooney, Bennett is probably the strongest new cast member this season, and should feel comfortable about returning next season.

Colin Jost (10-1) — He’s the head writer, and he’s not had enough time to prove himself at the “Weekend Update” desk, so he’s probably safe. However, if Lorne Michaels does decide to do a thorough house cleaning, he’s definitely the guy most likely to go down, if only because many of this season’s struggles lead back to Jost, both as head writer and as a terrible co-anchor on “Update.”

John Milhiser (2-1) — Who?

Kyle Mooney (10-1) — He’s managed more than any of the other featured players besides Bennett to gain some recognition this season, but his offbeat pre-taped segments often don’t jibe with the rest of the show’s tone. He was brought in to kind of replace Andy Samberg’s Digital Shorts, and he’s not really been up to the task, as many of his sketches have just been remakes of his YouTube videos.

Mike O’Brien (15-1) — O’Brien has made a lot more contributions to the show than you might think as a writer, and he’s definitely one of the best minds on the cast, even if he’s not that well known for his sketch work.

Noël Wells (3-1) — I like her, but she’s not been given any chance to prove herself this season. She’s the Abby Elliott of 2014 and will likely be purged.

Brooks Wheelan (2-1) — He’s best known for being the one who is not John Milhiser.

Sasheer Zamata (40-1) — After bringing her in to quell the controversy over the lack of black female cast members on SNL, they’re sure as hell not going to let her go this soon.

The Five Most Likely To Be Fired: Brooks Whelan, Noël Wells, John Milhiser, Nasim Pedrad, and Kenan Thompson.

Noel Wells is definitely going to get the boot, this whole season the only part I remember her playing with more than one line was Nancy Grace and it fell flat. How do you fail at making fun of Nancy Grace?! At least she’s cute.

Don’t forget her great Lena Dunham impression, in the sketch after Tina Fey’s monologue, season premiere. Seems like Noël Wells immediately peaked in her very first sketch. Oof. Really too bad, her YouTube video’s show that there’s more to her that we’ve seen on SNL this season. Though I was a bit surprised she got picked for SNL in the first place.

One of the reasons I stopped watching this season was because of that asshat on weekend update. I’d rather have Cecily doing it alone. But if they insist on a co-anchor, give it to Taran. And I can’t wait for the night with no Keenan.

“O’Brien has made a lot more contributions to the show than you might think as a writer.”
Is there some kind of website where you can see who wrote which sketch? I’ve always been curious about the writing credits on SNL.

Milhiser had one passable sketch where he was an overly passionate dad instructing his child in the school play or whatever. Wheelan is pretty much useless…the animal trapped in the AC vent was one of the worst things that I’ve seen on SNL ever. Wells just doesn’t offer anything different than what the other women on the show provide. Cut those three and you lose Pedrad to that new show. Bring in one new man and woman as Featured Players and you’re set. Addition by subtraction.

It’s funny Kenan has gone in the reverse career order of most SNL cast members. Before he joined the show he was a big star with his own TV show and movies, then he ended that and started making guest appearances on network sitcoms, THEN he became an SNL cast member, and now he leaves into uncertainty.

She is a great sketch performer whether she’s a straight-woman or playing a character, and has come up with some funny characters over the past couple of seasons. But she’s fat and she’s a woman, so I guess people have to criticize her.

I hate that plagiarism prick, she is ridding the ” I’m funny because I’m fat ” trend created by Melissa McCarthy (which she is very good at) but this bitch is not funny! everything she does is over-acting and talking either like a crazy fat bitch on purpose or playing it dumb.

It seems like “head writer = Update anchor” is becoming a trend, from Tina to Seth and now to Colin, with the only problem being that Tina and Seth had improv backgrounds whereas Jost was “only” a standup. There’s nothing wrong with that in itself since a lot of standup have had success on SNL, but Jost seems just way less polished than any Update anchor in recent memory.

Put it this way, Jost’s only job on the show is to co-host Update. I can’t picture him ever actually appearing in a sketch. Meyers was a normal troupe performer for three years before moving to Update, and while Fey was rarely in sketches on SNL, her hosting gigs have shown that she’s more than comfortable playing characters. I have zero idea what a Colin Jost-hosted SNL would ever look like, and I’m kinda hoping I never find out.

I say Kate MacKinnon, Jay Pharoah and Taran Killam stay, and everybody else move on. Cecily Strong and Aidy Bryant are both fine, but they really don’t do anything that any other female comedian couldn’t do. (Substitute “fat comedian” and you have Bobby Moynihan)

All of the new people have been terrible, whether it’s there own fault or not.

As for Kenan Thompson, I think if he sticks around, they need to a sketch about how terrible he is at impressions. Like, seriously, you think he would have picked up a trick or two after 11 seasons.

They should put Leslie Jones on screen more. She had one of the best bits of the year. People either thought it was funny or hated it because it was controversial. and that is what SNL used to be about.

To be fair, Andy Samberg and even Hader didn’t exactly hit the ground running. Mooney seems like a combination between Samberg and Armisen. I think Mike O’Brien will end up being the closest thing to Hader (though not the same when it comes to impressions, he is highly praised by Hader himself) As far as a go-to guy like Ferrell it seems Killam is filling that role, able to go from either straight man or over the top energy. McKinnon is filling in for Wiig as far as a wide range of characters and manic energy. Bennett is definitely going to be the next Sudeikis.

I think Kenan should go, sorry John and Noel but I don’t think you’ll be back. Brooks may be given some mercy, dunno why I’m predicting this. Nasim will probably move on. And wishful thinking that they get rid of Jost and possibly give O’Brien his spot since he’s dating Cecily and will actually have chemistry with her.

How is #1-5 not: Jost, Jost, Jost, Jost, and ummmmmmm. Jost. He has ZERO charisma or likability. His timing is absolute garbage. Either have Cecily go it alone, or Beck Bennett seems to have that sarcastic streak that could work.

I cannot understand how he got Weekend Update. They have a cast of thousands and somehow it’s this guy? I always thought Colin Quinn was terrible but at least he had some stage presence. Plus, I found Meyers insufferably smug but he was watchable.

I agree with both those points. I never enjoyed Quinn’s style, but at least he has a style. And Meyers could at least read an audience and play off them pretty well. Jost is just fuckin lost out there…

There needs to be more of Beck Bennett. So a big hell yes to making him the new Weekend Update co-host. Especially if it gives him less time to do that man-with-a-baby’s-body thing. It was funny once, but every character can’t turn into a recurring one. Also, I want more of Kyle and Beck’s weird shorts.

I think Mike O’Brien is really funny. He’d also be a decent choice for Weekend Update. I loved that short he did where he was talking to bugs on the street. The Monsters short with James Franco was good, too.

For once I agree with just about 100% of an assessment of an SNL cast.
Brooks Wheelan is getting an extremely undeserved bad rap in the comments. He has a lot of potential and personality, as evidenced by what he’s done outside of SNL.

Obviously, this is just a problem that I have with people with HUGE mouths. I can’t stand looking at her face because of her horse mouth. When she first came on the show, she was getting so much sketch time that I thought she was sleeping with Lorne.(I used to think that about Wiig too, when almost all of her horrible sketches kept recurring)

While I’m on SNL people who I don’t want to look at, please let them replace Jost with Bennett. He is so bland and Ivy League frosh looking and has limited facial expression. Oh, and just plain old not funny. I kind of can’t believe he’s their head writer. No wonder this season has mostly bombed.

From everything I’ve read about how SNL works backstage, you need to fight to get your pieces on the air or at least ‘team up’ with a writer or two to generate material for yourself. Milhiser and Wells, apparently, haven’t done this at all, since they’ve both barely done anything over 20 episodes. Whelan at least had a couple of Update bits as himself cribbed from his standup act, but he’s nothing special either.

The other thing SNL has to worry about is its top castmembers being poached. Wasn’t there a rumour about McKinnon being cast in another high-profile TV pilot and possibly on the way out?

Why do we need two anchors for Weekend Update? Update ran just fine with a single anchor for decades before Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon. Is it because they don’t think Cecily is Strong enough to carry it herself?

I think more than a cast overhaul, a writer overhaul is needed. The sketches have been super weak this season. I wonder if the sketch style is tired now and they need to go back to the style they had in the late 80s early 90s. I remember reading that when Tina Fey took over as head writer she changed up the style. I think another style change is in order now.

Agreed on the need for a writer overhaul. It feels like nearly every sketch revolves around some pun or a kernel of an idea, with little to no idea of how it’ll end. Some cast members are, obviously, stronger performers than others, but there’s only so much you can do with a turd.

I think this is kind of weird to be placing bets on who is most likely to be fired. Kind of sick, actually. It’s a comedy show. Why the bloodbath? And why do you want it?

And if you wanted people to get fired after turning in less than star-making first seasons, then Bill Hader, Will Forte, Aidy Bryant, and Jay Pharoah are just a few that come in mind who should have gotten the can. But of course, they didn’t, and now look at them.

Brooks Wheelan did fine this season and he’s really likable. Noel Wells has actually done a lot more than people have been giving her credit for. She said live from New York like two weeks ago, and did a Reba McIntyre I laughed out loud at even though she only had one line. And she did a great voice in the animated Dragon short with the Chicago Cop, and these were all in just the last three episodes. John Milhiser did a great thing with Lady Gaga that showed he has potential, and was in a sketch that got cut that he played a funny Batkid type character.

It’s a transition year for a reason. Taran Killam is now doing so well because all the other heavy weights left. He was almost invisible his first year. I have a feeling they’re letting the new people settle in before throwing too much at them.

I think Mike O’ Brien should take over update from Jost and Jost goes back to just being head writer, Milhiser and Wells need to go, Brooks Wheelan is great but hes a stand-up so I dont see why he’d wanna stick around and I think Kenan knows its about time to move on. Its pretty simple, I like all of them but the cast is stronger the smaller it is and if your not consistently being funny whats really the point of being there?

What a delightful article putting odds on whether human beings are going to get fired from their job or not! I can’t way to see the article about which writers for Uproxx are going to get fired. My goodness the Internet has become such a terrible wasteland of articles like this…like any of you have any concept which of these performers have written what and what they’re capable of and what Lorne thinks of them…so so stupid…just contributing to the garbage-heap that is Internet criticism (I guess I am now too)…

Solid snark, but there’s no way to know what the featured players are capable of based on performing a few lines here and there…some real shaky featured players have gone on to become some of the best cast members.

Brooks Wheelan didn’t make it onto the finale so I’m pretty sure he’s gone. I’ll bet there were some pretty interesting sketches that didn’t make it on the show because of some of the Sandberg bits that got rehashed and veteran bits like the Vogelchecks.

The standout player this year was Taran Killam with Jebediah and Eddie (“Glice”)

No, you are dead wrong Taran Killam wasn’t half as hot has he was on the past season, if you laughed at the Eddie Glice bid; you must be retarded, that shit was stupid and obnoxious.

He was on FIRE in season 38/37 i.e the Brad Pitt commercial spoof, The “Les Jeunes De Paris” skits and many new characters in Talk Show spoofs, as well as hilarious impersonations: Piers Morgan, Michael Cera and who can forget the Gotye skit with Andy Samberg.

This season… Jebediah, really? meh.

This season STAND OUT was Kate Mckinnon, she single handedly saved this season of SNL from being a complete steamy pile of poo.

I would love to see the whole entire cast get fired except for Cecily Strong. She’s the cutest cast member of the show since Molly Shannon back in the 90’s. Update the new theme song and update the new set of the show just in time for the 40th season. Also bring Dana Carvey back to host the show for a fifth time so Dana could be a member of the SNL 5 Timers Club. Bring back Melissa McCarthy to host the show for the fourth time in. 2014-15 and again in 2015-16 so she can join the group of 5 Timers who hosted SNL. My choice for the host of the Season 40 premiere of SNL is going to be Kaley Cuoco and musical guest O.A.R.

I’d like to see Kenan, John, Brooks, Mike, Nasim & Noel leave the show. I adore Kenan, but he’s been a cast member since season 29! John Milhiser on the other hand.. well, I can’t remember seeing him at all. He had one sketch with Lady Gaga and that’s about it. If he was super funny, the writers would’ve found a way to use him more. Brooks Wheelan is okay, but not special enough to stay. Then there’s Mike O’Brien. I’m pretty sure he’s going to stay – not sure if I wanna see more of him, though. Nasim will leave to do Mulaney, whilst Noel is just too much for this cast. There’s simply not enough room for her!

The strongest cast members are definitely Kate and Taran (the new Will Ferrell & Kristen Wiig), so they’re going nowhere. Bobby may do another season or two, since Lorne needs to have a few experienced people in the cast. Vanessa is also an experienced cast member with good recurring characters. Bobby and her bring familiarity to the show, which is much needed at a time like this. If Kenan is let go, Lorne has to keep Jay as the only male/black actor. Cecily will most likely stay at the Weekend update desk (where she’s excellent). I’m also hoping that Colin Jost would be fired! At first I thought he was just nervous, but that man is stiff as heck! I don’t think his awkwardness has anything to do with being a rich, white male – he’s just not good in front of the camera. Nor is he a good writer, tbh. People have already suggested Beck to do WU, and I agree. He has the voice & charisma to pull that off. Then again, Cecily could do the job alone. Aidy wasn’t too strong during season 38, but she’s definitely improved during this season! Kate & Aidy together make such a strong duo! They remind me of Tina/Amy and Maya/Kristen. Kyle Mooney has teamed up with Beck, so he’s most likely staying. And there is no way in hell that Lorne would ever fire Sasheer. I mean, how stupid would that be?

All in all, I’m hoping to see massive changes. A cast of 17 actors is ridiculously big! I’m hoping that the cast of season 40 would be closer to 10 actors..

I’ve been a HUGE SNL fan for years, even found a way to watch current episodes while I was living in the bush in Africa for the last 2 years…. this is the only time I’ve felt REALLY strongly that someone needs to go: sorry Collin Jost… it’s just painful to watch you. Generally the update desk has been given to a vetted cast member but I was so confused and, well kind of disgusted when this awkward no-name appeared at the desk with Cecily. I literally cringe when Update comes on now… he has almost no personality in my opinion and tanks just about every joke… I hope they realize this error soon. If he’s a head writer… I’m also not surprised at why the last season was a bit more of a flop than usual.